Do any of you ever do MS-150 cycling events???

[OmahaBlueDog]

Good exercise. Great cause.

Four so far

2005 Busch Gardens Tampa to Sea World and Back
2006 Busch Gardens Tampa to Sea World and Back
2007 Columbus Nebraska (it was an odd ride and it's too hard to explain)
2008 Sioux Falls to Vermillion and Back

[gratuitous]

1. Rode STP last year

I don't know if that qualifies, but it was indeed quite an experience. 200+ miles in two days. Started at the University of Washington football field parking lot Saturday morning, ended at Hollady Park in Portland Sunday afternoon.

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. Very Cool

I've thought about doing BRAN (the Big Ride Across Nebraska) and the famous/infamous RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). Two problems. 1 is that both take a time committment of a week. 2 is that RAGBRAI has become a circus.

[gratuitous]

3. That's what was attractive about Seattle to Portland

It happens on a weekend, so I only had to take one day off to bus up to Seattle. I'd never done anything like it before, and quite enjoyed it, even as an old fossil of 49. I knew going in that there were going to be people a lot more serious about the ride, but I figured I wouldn't see them for very long (correct, as it turns out). I also knew that there were going to be people treating it as a lark, and still whupping my ass. So I just rode for myself at my own pace, and had a terrific time.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get anyone to go with me this year, though about four people expressed interest. So maybe I'll go again next year. My goal for this year is to ride down to my alma mater, about 45 miles, for a football game in September and then ride back home. I've inveigled one of my old roommates into going with, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Especially if the team wins.

Keep the rubber side down and the helmet side up.

[OmahaBlueDog]

4. Kicking to see if there are more cyclists out here

[taterguy]

5. I've done the MS Tour To Tanglewood a couple times

A 2 day 90 mile ride in the middle of NC

You camp out at the old summer home of the Reynolds Tobacco barons.

I had a pretty good time but honestly felt slightly out of place.

For some inexplicable reason people doing 90 mile rides aren't that into excessive smoking and drinking.

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. The smoking I get, but no drinking???

Taterguy, I often feel out of place myself. You are looking at a rider who doesn't have a $3,500 bike, and looks like Jabba the Hutt in a bicycling jersey. Also, it can be an expensive hobby, and I'm cheap. I learned to bike cheap: for example, wearing a wicking t-shirt instead of a bike jersey (same material -- 20% of the cost quite often).Even though I ride a road bike, I use Shimano mountain bike pedal slips and wear MTB shoes (because off the bike, they look and feel more like sneakers, and you're often walking around in gravel and crap). None of it bothers me, but some of the riders look at you like you're dirt under their feet. Of course, there are some good chuckles when some of those same riders can't finish and have to be "SAGed"to the finish line.

On average, each MS-150 I've done has (through the help of a lot of friends) raised over $1,000. When you tell people you will ride for two days over distances they can't imagine, their wallets open up. The first year, I spilled my bike bad on the second day at mile 25. The paramedics patched me up and made it possible for me to complete the ride. At the end, my wife took a shot of me holding the medal they give you for completing the ride with my massive shiner and road rashed face. We jokingly call it the "money shot" because it raised a bunch when people saw it the next year.

[taterguy]

8. There's drinking, just not excessive drinking

Put me near a keg where I don't have to pay and I'll get rip roaring drunk

Most of the others were: But, but, we have to ride 45 miles tomorrow.

Fuck that, I'm getting drunk.

[Bucky]

7. This is just a guess, but I think Bertha Venation might be intereted

:hide:

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. I'll keep that in mind

...and I don't have you on ignore